What does it mean to enrich the definition of consciousness in consciousness research using (enriched) category theory?
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | The authors argue that category theory offers a novel viewpoint that enriches what it means to define consciousness, that a category-theoretic interpretation of consciousness is possible, and that an enriched category-theoretic framework can aid understanding consciousness. They respond to six expert commentaries, clarifying and defending their earlier tentative proposals about categories of levels and contents of consciousness. |
Abstract
In our recent essay on Cognitive Science [Naotsugu Tsuchiya & Hayato Saigo (2019) “Understanding Consciousness Through Category Theory” vol 26, pp 462 - 477], we provided a general introduction of category theory to consciousness researchers. Further, we also provided our tentative theoretical sketches on our latest ideas on how to apply tools in category theory into consciousness research. In particular, we discussed how we can propose categories of level of consciousness and categories of contents of consciousness. We also speculated what (if any) these efforts will bring into consciousness research. In this short piece, we will address several comments we received on our essay on the same volume from six experts, providing some clarification on three issues: 1) significance of our proposal of a novel viewpoint to enrich what it means to define consciousness, 2) possibility of category theoretical interpretation of consciousness, and 3) understanding of consciousness through the enriched category theoretical framework.